We Got It!!

We GOT THE DUPLEX!!

Just found out about an hour ago and I couldn't be happier right now. WOO HOO!!!

Earl said it first, people:

"Alex: Earl, karma is a very complex Buddhist principle. It’s the totality of a person’s actions which determines the fate of the next stage of their existence.

Earl: Do good things and good things happen. Do bad things and bad things happen.

Alex: (smiling) Yeah I actually like your definition better."


PS: If you don't watch My Name Is Earl, go. Get it. Watch it. Giggle. Thank Me. It is an awesome show.

Instant Karma?

We got our tax money last week.

Rather than plan a vacation (even though I would LOVE to take Bendy to Disney), buy too many things we don't need, or toss it all into savings where it will slowly be depleted over the next few months, we decided to take most of that money and pay back a number of old debts that we had on our credit reports.

See, when I turned 18, I didn't quite understand yet the ---danger--- that IS credit cards. In my frolicky little world of sunshine and flowers, I thought, yeah, I will sign up for this credit card, and buy the things I want... And pay the minimum until the day comes that I can pay them back! *smiles* *tosses hair* *pops bubblegum loudly*

But everyone in the *ahem* real world knows that that day never comes. Instead, you just get pummeled with fees and interest and blah blah blahs until one day, you owe a company $1000 for that $100 DVD player you decided to buy to watch your favorite movie on. And then (at least if you are me) you realize you won't overcome it anytime soon, and you give up. You let it go onto your credit report and ruin any chances you have of getting any type of loan on your own for the next however many years. So that's what I did, and that's how I ended up in this mess.

Will's was actually not nearly as bad as mine, to be honest. He had a bill from a hospital and one credit card, but that's nothing to my ridiculous amounts of book clubs, credit cards, past due bills, etc. I am turning red as I write this, because really, I'm not proud of it. I should have known better.

But, I didn't. It is what it is, I guess.

And NOW... Now that I am older, now that we have a daughter, now that we are getting more serious about what we want to do with our lives and doing things like making budgets and five year plans and thinking of just how to get to that point where we can buy our own house... NOW... We are fixing it.

I spent a while on the phone two days ago with all of these credit companies. **SIDE NOTE: You DO NOT need to hire a credit counseling service to help you if you have debts. You can negotiate with these companies all on your own, and they will offer you deals- on average, most will settle for around 50% of what you owed them in the beginning. IF you DO decide to go with a credit counseling service, whatever the reason, DON'T get one that makes you pay ridiculous amounts of money! Check out CCCS- Consumer Credit Counseling Services- you can even do a lot of it online with them now...** I paid back a big chunk of what we had owed, and I am pretty sure it's going to boost our credit score within the next couple of months. One step closer to being able to buy a house in a few years!

And you know what happened??

The next day, I happened to be browsing Craigslist, and I clicked on housing. I have been keeping my eye out on there for a while, because while we do like our apartment for its size, our location and our landlord are both kind of sucky. If you read about our heat situation, you know what I mean.

So we've been wanting to move for a while, but not forcing the issue. We've been waiting for the right thing to come along. We were *hoping* for a house or a duplex, something a little bigger, with a yard (right now we live on one of the main streets in town and have ABSOLUTELY no yard, which blows with a dog and a one year old!)... and I had only seen one that was good in the past few months, which was snatched up before I could even get ahold of the poster. So I didn't have very high hopes in clicking... But what do I see at the top of the list but THIS AD:

3br - ENFIELD NH 6 ROOM DUPLEX

3 BEDROOM (ONE SMALL MORE FOR NURSERY) 1 BATH. NEWLY REMODELED. APPLIANCES ALREADY THERE.
FRONT PORCH
BIG YARD AND PLENTY OF PARKING.
$800.00 PER MONTH PLUS UTILIES
NEW WINDOWS
NEW FURNACE

We are going to look at it tonight. The woman sounds great, doesn't mind that we have a dog, and it seems like we were the first to get ahold of her about this amazing deal!! If all goes well, we might be putting down a security tonight...

Instant karma??

I think so.

#100 Already?!?!

So, here I am. My 100th post.

I almost can't believe that it's been so many already.

I started this blog last year as a substitute for the scrap booking I no longer really had the time- or the energy- for with a baby girl. By the time she would be tucked in at night (I mean, let's be realistic- who can scrapbook with a baby grabbing all those eensy pieces?!?) I was just so exhausted, I never wanted to lug out my bag filled with findings, glues and papers and start piecing my life together.

Blogging has become so much more for me than just a substitute.

I enjoy doing this much more than scrapbooking in a lot of ways. It's quick, which is good for my impatient side. I enjoy the instant gratification of clicking *post* and seeing my words, my photos, my WORLD, right up there on the page looking all spiffy. I love that blogging has gotten me more interested in- and better at- photography, which is something I have always admired, but never quite known how to go about improving. I love that this is a somewhat permanent record of our lives as Ilyana grows... I hope that someday she'll look back and be able to see what we were doing, know what I was thinking (even if sometimes it's wacky!) and find the exact dates of many of her milestones.

And then there are my friends. You guys.

I always feel so silly calling you friends, because we have never met in real life. But what else do you call someone who is always there to listen to you bitch, to cheer you up if you need it, to look at that 2,876,756th picture of your kid, to pass along crazy memes and give you awards and just all around make you feel special? I don't think there's another word for it. I am so grateful to have found a group of bloggers who I fit in with... You make me laugh, you make me cry, you let me know I'm not alone. Your posts make me feel like I am peeking into your world... but not in a creepy-peeping-tom kind of way, more like a crazy sister with permission kind of way.

In a time when old friends have mostly scattered across the country- in some cases, even further- and it's near impossible to find friends IRL that you can be as close with, I am glad to have found a new way to have friends. Thank you all!

So here is my 100th post. I am going to go ahead and answer a few questions, which were posed to me by Aubrey, first:

(1) Why did you start blogging?

Well, I sort of already answered that one above. Mostly as a substitute for scrap booking, and a way of keeping a journal for my daughter.

(2) And the name, Bendy Ruggles, where does that come from?

LOL. Well, to understand this, you have to know that my mom loves to make up words- and by proxy, we all do. We are always coming up with new, sillier, ways of saying something. When Illy was a baby, she had all kinds of names- Lulu the Ladybug, Suzy Roncine, Rosie McGee, Silly Illy (that one is still around), and, yes, Bendy Ruggles. Bendy is the only one not related to her real name that stuck- it came up because one day, my Mom was trying to hold her and she kept bending this way and that, trying to wiggle away. We were already starting to call her the Ruggle (who knows why) and that's the day she became the Bendy Ruggle(s). :)

(3) What are your blogging pet peeves?

I don't know if you mean when I am blogging, or when I visit people. For myself, I would say it's just the pressure I put on myself to post. It's a little strange, but even when I was younger and would keep a journal I would set these goals for myself, liek number of pages I had to write in that week, or how many entries, and I would totally beat myself up if I didn't reach them. I guess that's why I feel that way now...

For others? I don't like it when I feel I am being preached to, or they are trying to convert me. I also get annoyed if someone starts acting like their way is the only way in life... I think everyone has their own path. Essentially, if I feel like the blogger is judging the readers (including me) too much, I won't go back.

(4) What keeps you going back to someone's blog?

I think it's different with each blog I frequent. A lot of you I feel like I just clicked with, and I loved hearing about your families and just felt like if I knew you in real life, we'd be friends. If I feel an initial connection with someone like that, I usually add them to my blog roll. This includes you, Aubrey, as well as Issa, Nikki, and Karyn.

Some people I visit because I love what they do, and am fascinated by it, interested in getting more into it, or both. I frequent a lot of photography based blogs, one on jewelry, and one on decorating... They include Tabitha, Jewel Street Designs, Thrifty Decor Chick, The Daily Focal Point, and Dr. Cason.

And others are just amazing writers, people who make me laugh a lot, or those with great stories to tell. These include Kyla, Woman In a Window, Michele, and Project Mommyhood.

And, of course, there are the blogs of people I know in real life and just want to keep up with, including my cousin Vickie and my Dad and Stepmom.

Now, I had a suggestion from Issa that I think I am also going to do... Don't worry, you can come back later (or not!) if you get bored. tee hee.

Issa: You could always do the 10x10 thing I did. Ten things about ten random things. It was easier than listing 100 things.

True enough! Here goes...

About me and my hubby- LIST 1

(1) We have been together for 8.5 years, since I was 16 years old. I get asked a lot if I feel like I missed out on my teen/ college *fun* because of it... But my answer is always- what did I miss? Dating a bunch of asshats trying to find the *right* guy? Drinking too much beer at frat parties and barfing all over myself? Being used? Nah, didn't miss it. :P
(2) He proposed to me at the Olive Garden.
(3) We have been through more in our eight years together than a lot of people have in their lives. If you knew us IRL, you'd know why I say that. I promise it's not cuz I'm conceited and think we are better in some way than other people.
(4) We are married, but we still haven't had a wedding for financial reasons. We're hoping to throw some kind of a bash/ celebration for it on or around our tenth anniversary, 6/4/2010.
(5) We have had seven apartments together.
(6) He moved into my Mom's house when I was 16. Thanks again for trusting me, Mom! I knew we'd last...
(7) We want to have another baby as soon as it is realistic for us financially and health-wise.
(8) We couldn't live without our internet!
(9) We are both Momma's girls/ boys. :P We've always been close with our Moms and are always making fun of each other for just how much we talk to them on the phone.
(10) But neither one of us really likes talking on the phone much, other than to our Moms. heh.

Stores I love- LIST 2
(1) Old Navy
(2) Origins
(3) Target
(4) The Christmas Tree Shops
(5) Body Shop
(6) Big Lots
(7) Dollar Tree
(8) Marshalls
(9) TJ Maxx
(10) Avon for cosmetics/ nail stuff

Ten Things I Would Get Myself Right Now if I Could- LIST 3
(1) Pedicure/ Manicure
(2) Fix our Jeep
(3) Massage
(4) Some more time off!
(5) New bedding
(6) A house... this should really be #1, but I wasn't thinking in this direction at first...
(7) Vacation to Disney for the fam
(8) A teleporter so I wouldn't have to drive places anymore!
(9) Shopping Spree at the above stores...
(10) Super Mario Kart for Wii :)

Ten Vacations I Would Love to Take Before I Die- LIST 4
(1) Hawaii- we have a friend who is living there, and I would LOVE to go!
(2) Amsterdam, or more precisely, the Cannabis Cup. It would be a once in a lifetime thing... So much fun!
(3) Disney, disney, disney (again)! I've already been twice, but I can't get enough!
(4) A cruise of some sort... Preferably to the bahamas.
(5) Ride the mono rail thing around Europe- to Italy, to France, Germany, and Spain.
(6) Mexico
(7) African safari! I love animals, I'd love to be thisclose to some real, wild, saharan desert type ones...
(8) Japan
(9) Australia
(10) England... but only if my friend Merry was still there. If not, I'd sub it out for Alaska. Just cuz.

Ten Of My Favorite Games- LIST 5
(1) Scrabble. I seriously rule though. You wouldn't want to play against me ;)
(2) Capture the flag
(3) Word Whomp
(4) Life
(5) Shanghai
(6) Rummy
(7) Bones/ Dice
(8) Cranium
(9) Good old fashioned TAG!
(10) Clue

Ten Of My Pet Peeves- LIST 6
(1) Slow/ idiotic drivers (I am a yeller when it comes to driving...)
(2) Being judged
(3) Being preached to or attempting to convert me
(4) Strangers at the door
(5) Dealing with customer service reps on the phone
(6) Muu-muus
(7) When my hair gets frizzy and just won't quit
(8) Having to drive to visit people all the time... I like the visiting part, but HATE the driving.
(9) Defrosting meat. I just have a thing about it. I'm way less likely to make a good meal for dinner if the meat isn't already thawed.
(10) Bad pics of me! EW!

About my Doggie- LIST 7
(1) Name: Deuce
(2) No, we didn't name him after a crap. *ahem* I gave my hubby the Greek Mythology book and told him to pick a name he liked... It was Deucalion. So we kept it and shortened it, and didn't think about how much our friends would laugh when we told them...
(3) Breed: Shiba Inu
(4) Birth date: 4/17/2005
(5) Coloring: Red and white
(6) Best friend: Duh, Ilyana!
(7) Naughty habit: Getting in the trash! GAH!
(8) He got away this weekend! But we got him back... quickly, thank god.
(9) Sleeps: In our closet. So we put his bed in there, so it can at least be a little bit comfy. He also sleeps on the floor next to Illy's bed a lot.
(10) Favorite activities: Playing catch (though he doesn't give the ball back very well... lol) and going for walks.

Ten Munchables That I LOVE- LIST 8
(1) Tea
(2) Ice cream
(3) Eggs of all sorts. We've been eating a ton of eggs lately.
(4) Cheese
(5) Chicken
(6) Quesadillas
(7) Falafel
(8) Greek salad
(9) Hollandaise
(10) Fruit- especially berries

Random Things About Me- LIST 9
(1) I still bite the skin around my nails. I never broke that bad habit.
(2) I love to cook, especially bake.
(3) I love to burn tarts around my house- they make it smell so yummy!
(4) My favorite seasons are autumn and spring.
(5) My nail polish is chipped right now.
(6) I actually enjoy doing my budget each month. It makes me feel less stressed knowing what we have, what we need to pay, and when...
(7) My family means more to me than anything else in the world.
(8) Christmas is my favorite holiday.
(9) I want four kids. Someday.
(10) I can't wait to be a homeowner and be able to do crafty projects around the house!

Ten Random Things About My Work- LIST 10
(1) I work in a hospital.
(2) But for a college.
(3) An Ivy League one, to be exact.
(4) I really like my boss, she's great.
(5) Not so much the person above her, though.
(6) I am an Administrative Assistant. A lot of people would scoff at that, considering I have a BA in Sociology, but I am grateful for my job and enjoy it.
(7) We work with researchers, so I sometimes get to hear about up-and-coming medical technologies. It's really amazing, some of the work they are doing...
(8) I am the first point of contact for visitors, and I answer the phone.
(9) I hope to stay with the College for a long time... But I'm hoping to move up in my position soon.
(10) My work is about to lay off at least 60 people, and it has been stressing everyone out around here!

PHEW! I did it! Are you still with me?? No?? Okay, I'm going to take a nap now. :P

Thanksgiving Means...

Reflecting back and appreciating all of the incredible blessings we have. Being thankful for everything, big and small, that makes us smile, brightens our day, brings us joy, or helps us to understand our purpose in this wonderful world. Whether that be...


Good Food...

Table spread


Nana's famous tootke (spelling?)


My Dad whipping up some goodies!


And, of course... TURKEY! Look at that golden brown baby!



Time spent with the people we love...

Dad and Uncle Eddie spaghetti!

Grammy and Illy trading bites.


Mitch and Nana, chatting it up!


Uncle Ed spins Ilyana!

Dad muckling Droobie for not taking a pic with him!

Will and Illy share a snuggle in the big chair.


Father-son love shot. Awww!


The ladies exclaim! Wonder what worked them up? It couldn't have been the football...


Drouin looks for a shoulder (er, arm?) to lean on.


Ilyana plays with the old farmhouse with Uncles Dru and Jack.


Father daughter love :)


Pep and Illy. It's a bit washed out, but cute just the same :)


A bit better coloring, I think. And he said he *wasn't ready* to be a Peppie yet before she was born... As if!


Showered with smooches. This girl is so neglected, right?? lol!


I admit, I really just stuck this one in because I want everyone to see her adorable jacket in full view! lol... Nobody is looking in this pic, so other than her outfit, it's not that great. But hot damn, that outfit is cute! ;)


As I said, showered with smooches! She's so used to people kissing her all the time. What a sad life... ;)


Ilyana explains her life to Uncle Mitchie and Pep.



An impromptu fort...


Remember when under the Thanksgiving table was the place to be?


Ilyana has inherited this time-honored tradition of under-the-table-chillin...


Jack is psyched to have been the one to show her!



A quick rest...

Mitch catches some zzz's. Yes, he fell asleep. On the couch. With a house full of people. Don't ask me how!

Dru takes the cue.

Or an AWESOME new camera which helps you capture the many photo opps you are presented with! :D

The first picture of Connor I captured that day! That boy is stubborn, and he did NOT want his picture taken. However, after I caught this one, he let me take a few others. Said he figured if I was gonna have him on camera, I might as well get a good one... Like this:


Connor looking studious, crocheting a kick-ass hat for Uncle Ed! Yes, I am jealous of his skills :)

My little Deucie dingle, looking dapper!

I can climb up in this chair. All. By. Myself!

Oh, yeah, and this one, too!


Did I forget to mention this chair, Momma? I can climb in this one too!

My Nana in her tres chic jacket, chatting! She's the best :)

Little Mrs. Pensive Pout

This one is one of my favorites. I can't believe how much my girl is growing!

My stupendous stepmom!

Silly sweet Jack

Serious Jack

Silly Dru! (I love this pic too!)

Serious Dru

So that was my Thanksgiving in a nutshell... I'm only a week and a half late on posting it! It was fantastic, fun, relaxing, yummy and visit-licious (hey it can be a word if I want it to!). If you're thinking to yourself- *Oh my god, that was in a nutshell!?! How could this be? There were so many pics!* trust me, I know. I took about 175 of them, but I had to weed them down. And then weed them down again. And then pick my favorites from those. So yes, this was the abridged version. :P

Quizzy McQuizz: What Holiday Are You?

So, now that the holidays are upon us (24moredaystillChristmaswoohooI'msoexcited!! ANDonly23tillthebeginningofmyvacationwhatwhat!) I thought it might be fun to find out which Holiday I would be. If I were a holiday.

I hope most of you that know me know where this is headed, cuz I had a little INKLING of which holiday I was already and of course I was right:

You Are Christmas

More than most people, you are able to find magic in life's small moments. Traditions mean a lot to you, and you tend to be quite nostalgic. You are a giving, kind person who really understands the true meaning of holidays. You inspire others to be as altruistic and caring as you are. What makes you celebrate: Tradition and a generous spirit At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The storyteller. You like to recount memories with everyone. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Give a gift to everyone you know

What Holiday Are You?

So thanks to Judi at Where The Road Takes Us for taking this quiz, inciting me to take it... And to be confirmed in the fact that if I was to be a special day, I would be the special day I look forward to alllllll year :)

Thanks I Give Today

*I am thankful for my family- my gorgeous little girl who amazes me more each day; the loving husband who has been with me through thick and thin for eight years; my Mom who has supported me in every way she could for my entire life and who has grown to be one of my best friends; my Father who teaches me things, tells me what I need to hear, and gives me sound advice when I am down in the dumps; my step-parents, both of whom I adore incredibly- I think they are perfect matches for my parents, they have taught me so much, and I am beyond glad that they are in my life; my brothers, all of whom are unique and fun and loving, who could never be replaced; the family I have inherited from my hubby... I know everyone jokes about evil mother-in-laws and tragic family visits, but I truly love them and feel like I lucked out with my new extended family- I care deeply for each of you and I hope you already knew it. And the rest of my extended family, who I am closer with than most people- my cousins, who are some of my best friends, my Aunts and Uncles, who I have had so many fun times with, and the wonderful grandparents who helped spoil raise me. I am so happy to have you all today. I appreciate each and every one of you- thank you for being there, for living life along with us and bringing your own experiences to the table.

*I am so very grateful for the job I have now. Today is my one-year anniversary since I started this job! I love my position, my boss, my co-workers (except one, but we won't count him. *ahem*), and the company I work for. My job is stable and I work for a company that is in no danger of going under like so many others right now. I also feel like we truly do something meaningful (I work in the research field), which makes a huge difference to me. I am also grateful for the benefits my job provides- so many people right now are living without health care, and if we were in that boat right now, we would be seriously screwed. I won't go into why, but we REALLY needed the insurance. I sometimes think what would have happened to us if I didn't get this job, but it's a scary thought that I don't need to indulge, because THANKFULLY it's not the case. When I was pregnant, and after I had Ilyana, I couldn't find a job for a long time, but I believe it's because I was meant to end up here.

*I am grateful for my daughter's good health.

*I am grateful to have good food and a roof over our heads. It seems simple, but there are a lot of others right now just struggling to make ends meet.

*I am grateful that my husband found a position at a company that appreciates him and is quickly moving him up. I'm grateful that they see his potential and are giving him the opportunity to work with computers, which he has always wanted to do, even though he is self-taught.

*I am grateful that we are slowly working towards fixing our credit and ultimately achieving our goal of owning a home. Hopefully *fingers crossed* before Ilyana goes to school!

*I am grateful for the chance to shop celebrate and appreciate my friends and family on the holidays. *maniacal high-pitched voice* I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

*I am grateful TO HAVE HEAT! WOOOOOOOoooooOOOOoooooOOOooo... Yeah, if you don't know about this little gem, you can read about the heat situation here

*I am grateful for my new camera to take photos of the people and things I love, for Dora the explorer, for dark chocolate, for Bavarian Wild Berry tea, for gifts from Mother Nature, for frozen strawberries (smoothies!), for Weeds and Worst Week and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia... for Soap & Glory, Origins and Old Navy.... For so, so much more... I could go on all day...

So, what about you? What are you thankful for today, in this moment?

These *R* A Few of My Favorite Things...

So, I was visiting a good bloggy friend of mine, Aubrey, over at The Fam Five, and she had participated in this fun post about her favorite things... The twist on it is this: you have to list ten of your favorite things that only begin with one letter.

Aubrey had an *I*. And she did *I*ncredibly *I*ngeniously with her list, if I do say so. Many of the things on there are things that I might say I love, too! Internet, ice cream (who doesn't?!?), iPod, Iron Chef... I won't give away her whole list, but it was pretty good. She asked any of us who wanted to rise to the challenge to give a *holla* and so I did...

And I got an *R*.

So, without further adieu (SIDETRACKED: is this the right way to spell this TYPE of adieu? I know it means "good-bye", but does it also mean "rambling on unnecessarily"? hmm...) here is a list of my favorite *R* things. At least, these *R* my favorite *R* things that I can think of *R*ight now. heh. In no particular order, other than the order in which they popped into my head...

(1)

Reading. I have always loved to read. I have so many books on my shelf that I haven't gotten to yet, it is *r*idiculous. A few favorite authors are: Jodi Picoult, Chuck Palahniuk, Gregory Maguire, Stephanie Meyer (yes, Twilight... lol), JK Rowling (oh shush!), Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Francesca Lia Block...

(2)


Rest and/or Relaxation. Don't get much of it these days, but when I do... it is great! Who doesn't love to sleep... or curl up on the couch and veg with no obligations?

(3)

Reese's. Especially cold ones. They are oh so good.

(4)

Ribs. I am a sucker for some awesome, on-the-grill-all-day, meat-falling-off-the-bones ribs. Yum. Yum.

(5)

Running the dishwasher. Yes, you heard me. I am a little bit happier every time I turn that knob. That means less chores for me, fewer dirty dishes, more time to spend with the girl... it's all good, see?

(6)

Recipes. This is kind of cheating, because I'm using it to mean cooking and baking and in general, having fun in the kitchen. Although I couldn't do any of this without the recipes. I mean, I sorta could now, but before I ever used recipes to cook, you would NOT have wanted to try something I came up with on my own (it may have looked something like the recipe above, lol). Now that I have some experience WITH the recipes, I am better at inventing yummy things. So recipes= good. We have to eat, and it's better to have fun with it and try new things.

(7)

Raising my kiddo. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's frustrating... But it is always *R*ewarding, and I am always grateful for having her in my life. I couldn't imagine being without her.

(8)

Rewards. I am one of those survey-filler-outer, points-racker-upper people. I am a member of Upromise- which helps you save for your kids' college; Mypoints, which rewards you with gift cards once you've racked up a certain amount of points through doing any number of things, including surveys, online shopping, clicking on ads, etc.; and a bunch of survey sites, the best of which is Pinecone Research, which pays you $3 each time you fill out a survey, on top of at times sending you free products that are still in the development stage to try out and give feedback on.

(9)

Recycling and Reusing. Whenever I remember to do this, it makes me feel all nice and good and like I'm doing something to help the world. Which is a nice feeling. We have been trying to bring those reusable bags to the grocery store, and we have to go to the dump now for certain things anyway, so I like to try and recycle what we can when we go...

(10)

Riches. Both the show "The Riches" with Eddie Izzard (who is so freakin hilarious, if you haven't seen him before, YOU MUST. Go. Rent. Laugh. Be happy.) and real-life, actual, in your hands, cash money, riches. As if I have those. But someday, I hope to... And when I do, I know I WILL love them, trust me! hehe.

...So, there they *R*. This was a lot harder than I thought. I guess there aren't a ton of *R* things that make me so happy I dance and pee in my pants a little. But there *R* a few. Okay. I'll stop with the *R* now. *R* you annoyed yet?

PS: Let me know if you want to participate in this little listy! I swear I'll go to random.org to pick your letter so you don't think I'm evil if you end up with, like... X. Or Z. And, just to be nice, if you don't think you can come up with ten for your first letter, I'll give you a new letter. But only once. Come on, we can't just keep picking letters here, that wouldn't be random enough! ;) *R* you up for it?